Look of the Day - classic retro

I wanted to do a more retro look.

I used the left-hand side of the WnW Comfort Zone palette and some layered mascara for the eyes - Cover Girl Lash Blast length works well as a base for me - and their eye enhancers for green eyes works nicely over that.

Lips are Raspberry Port lip crayon from Ecco Bella and a lip glaze from HiFi cosmetics that I don't know what it is because the label fell off the tube.

Instead of blush, I used some ELF studio golden bronzer around the edges of my face. Still pale!

Also, I do not apologize for anything about how I look here. (Bloggers really need to quit pointing out their imperfections. Like now.)

All UDPP and all TFSI - comparison!

I have a full size TFSI, a mini size UDPP Greed, sample decants from Sephora of UDPP Sin and Eden and TFSI candlelight, and I had a sample card of UDPP. So, I did some swatches. On top is Silk Naturals Lime, a matte shade, and on the bottom is Hi-Fi The Hydra, a shimmery blue.

Left to right:
1. Bare skin
2. UDPP
3. UDPP Eden
4. UDPP Sin
5. UDPP Greed
6. TFSI Candlelight
7. TFSI

Out of the "clear" primers, I like TFSI better - I think it does a better job enhancing the shimmer shade.

I do not like Eden too much - it leaves a much too yellowish cast for my taste. I'd like it better if it were a very pale peach.

Out of the "gold" primers, I like UD Greed better. Candlelight seems to wash out the shimmer shade too much, and even if it does make mattes a little sparklier, it also makes them paler.

Sin is a unique shade, and I like it. It washes out the colors more than Greed, but I like it on its own as a quick and easy work cream shadow. I have the shadow pencil in the same color, but that creases on me a little - but if I had the primer for my lids and the pencil for the lower lashline, I'd look a lot more awake in not a lot of time.

Out of the six of them, TFSI, Greed, and Sin are the ones I think are worth having.

So there's my thoughts on the eye primer leaders.

Another FOTD - green and peach

This one is a couple months old.

I know the eye and lip stuff I used.

Eyes:
1. Lumene primer
2. Fyrinnae Nijiro in tear duct and to highlight
3. SN Superfly on lid
4. Aromaleigh greenbrier on outer V
5. UD Mildew to line
6. Lumene sensitive eyes mascara, blue.

Lips:
Hi-Fi Cosmetics Gin and Sin lip gloss.

Cheeks:
I'm pretty sure this is adorned with Grace's Radiant blush layered over SN's cream Devoted, but I could be wrong.

More stuff used up!

Hi-Fi lip glaze sample pod - Gin and Sin - pretty color, generally wish to refrain from buying more wand-style products, though. Really liked the feel of the formula, too (and I'll enjoy it in my full size Corrode!)

Self-made blue color - can't make again even if I wanted to (Pops discontinued). I was happy that it seemed to wear almost as well as shadows I've bought.

Pink Quartz Minerals fisherman's lip salve - Not bad if you don't mind a vegetal waxy smell. I really need to start making my own balms soon...

Twink Beauty shampoo bar - tea tree. OK, so shampoo bars don't work for me. Soap in general doesn't work for me where I live right now (oh, to be back in the soft-water Northeast again...). I ended up using this as a body bar in the shower, and it was better/less drying than most soaps. I need detergent-based shampoo in my current shower. If you have soft water and like shampoo bars but don't want to smell all girly, you should buy this.

BeFine lemon foot balm. Not buying again. Best part is how it smells like lemons. However, it's hard to scoop out of the packaging, which is a bivalve clamshell shaped like a lemon - cute as hell but difficult to use. Stick form would have been best for this product.

107 items gone
37 full size items gone

ES project pan - 4/8 (cheated on this, too - bought the Comfort Zone palette - haven't opened it yet!)
Lip project pan - 4/5 (cheated on this - ordered some stuff from Epically Epic Soap)

Basic advice on buying good product on the Internet

I wrote this on a forum I'm on after being surprised by the number of people recommending products by known repackagers (or people who just mix mica with a base). The member had also recommended EDM and Aromaleigh. The former I won't buy from, and the latter nobody can anymore. :(

Anyway, I thought it was a helpful summation of everything I know about how to buy good makeup over the Internet.

"I don't shop at Everyday Minerals anymore, and haven't in over a year. This is why.

Aromaleigh is also closed now, she started the process over the summer. I'm still pretty bummed about that.

Other companies I've personally found trustworthy and high-quality:
1. Fyrinnae - hands down your best choice for bright eyeshadow
2. adorned with Grace minerals (excellent foundations for warm toned fair-to-medium ladies, wonderful blushes)
3. Silk Naturals - excellent everything, also has lip stuff and skin care.
4. Hi-Fi cosmetics (etsy) - good stuff!
5. Darling Girl cosmetics (ecrater) - she's new to the game, but her stuff is really, really good.
6. Meow (though you want to wait for their free shipping specials - normally they gouge you on that)
7. Sassy Minerals (I forgot this one in the post, but I have stuff I'd like to get from them.)

Some new ones I've heard positive things about from bloggers I trust but haven't tried yet because I have bills to pay instead: Brazen Cosmetics, Shiro Cosmetics, Scaredy Cat cosmetics, Sobe botanicals

This is an old post by Phyrra, but it's a helpful guide to seeing if the company you want to buy from is a good bet.

You ALWAYS want to google a new-to-you company plus the word "repackage" because otherwise you might end up paying top dollar for unblended mica, which will fall off if you don't have a base and means that the "creator" hasn't been doing anything more "creative" than transferring powder from baggies into jars and "creating" the idea that she made them herself. If you want unblended mica, you can get entire tablespoons direct from the supplier, TKB trading. The TABLESPOON of product in their smallest size only costs $1.50, so you could get 14 colors and just meet the order minimum.

Also, some companies have been remarkably unscrupulous in selling unsafe product, harming people, and somehow getting away with it. This post by Ana of Lipsticks and Lightsabers horrifies me in more ways than one."

Sunday night sick post

It's Sunday night and I have a cold. The handful of ibuprofen I took an hour ago is starting to make a dent on the achiness and the headache, but my throat is angry. The man made me tea and ordered in won ton soup, which helped a little, and I watched a lot of stupid TV and looked at lots of pretty pictures of makeup on the internet.

Earlier today before I felt like such crap, I became annoyed at how many of my 5g jars had stickers on the clear lids obscuring the contents from view when stored upright. So I pulled them off - there was still all the info on the bottom sticker. Now I need to go buy some Goo Gone, but I can see the colors without picking up the jars. I also sorted the shadows by color instead of by brand, which is helpful. I own a lot of green and blue. Mostly green. I also have nice small collections of neutrals. Pinks, purples, orange, red, and yellow are all sharing another drawer. Looking at that drawer makes me think of a fiery sunset.

I also mixed Fire Opal and Copper from Pink Quartz together because I liked them better mixed together than separately. It lightened the copper to dark peach and gave it a light purple duochrome. Then I used the jars for a couple baggie samples from HiFi. Seriously, if you like fun colors in manageable sizes at low prices, get some baggie samples from HiFi because they are amazing. I can't believe I paid so much more at Pink Quartz for the same amount of an inferior product. Pink Quartz stuff has almost no adhesion and goes on much sheerer than you'd like it to. By "no adhesion" I mean that I can swatch it on bare skin, run water over the swatch, and have most of it rinse away. HiFi swatches stick around a little harder. HiFi shadows are creamy and give you a solid swipe of beautiful color.

But now I am sick, and it sucks. I hope I don't have to call into work tomorrow because then I lose pay. :( I also hope this is just a cold and not a doctor-requiring illness, because my health insurance has a nasty habit of not paying for any of my care.

I need a good job with good benefits. And soon.

This has been a more ranty than usual post. I do not apologize.

100th post!

This is my 100th post! Holy crap! I never thought I'd have so much to say about makeup...

Several things for this momentous occasion.

I have now used up 56 things, and out of those, 9 were full size products (mostly hair stuff...).
Recently emptied products:

1. Zia Skin Basics cleanser with seaweed. I had no complaints about this - kept it in the shower to wash my face in the morning. Very gentle, and I'd probably consider buying it again if I had more disposable income.

2. Aveeno body wash - some combo of pomegranate and rice? It looked like sticky mucus with brown grains in it. It worked ok, but I'm not at all sad that it's gone.

Also! I've been wearing my HiFi Cosmetics shadows a lot lately, and must tell you that they are amazing! I'm thrilled with the wear and the color depth. Psycho Mind is still my favorite, but I've acquired some new greens, purples, and neutrals, too - and I adore all of them. I also got the lip gloss in Corrode, which is a sheer milky white with greenish pearlescence. Looks like a slight twist on a nude lip alone, and also funkifies any lip color. Love it! Will have to remember to post pics of stuff.

Stuff coming up:

1. Thoughts on low-end vs. high-end.
2. A rant against holiday palettes.
3. I'm almost out of a couple more things! (full sizes here, too)

Much promised HiFi swatches!

I ordered a blogger review kit from Veronica over at Hi-Fi Cosmetics, told her I liked bright colors and neutrals, and let her surprise me. She sent me these five samples! The sample bags have some heft - they feel more like the amount some companies put in foundation or finishing powder samples.



Initial impressions from looking at the baggies:
Psycho Mind - darkish liner color.
California Girl - gold.
Queen of Disaster - Dark blue liner color.
The Hydra - Pretty turquoise!
Crazy Little Thing - sky blue? Neat!

Then I swatched them.




I was surprised at how close Crazy Little Thing looked to The Hydra because they looked more different in the baggies. The Hydra is sheerer and more shimmery, whereas Crazy Little Thing is a rich pearl. I have to play with these some more, because I think they could be more interesting if I try different things with them.

Queen of Disaster looks like it'll be a good liner color. The iridescence, and the fact that is can apply fairly sheerly, mean it might be more versatile than I think.

California Girl was kind of an outlier - all the other shadows are more creamy, and this one is more flyaway.

Psycho Mind is my surprise favorite. Do you see that? It's not gray at all, like I originally thought (I really look like death in gray). It's a shimmery plum with teal duochrome!!! Disenchanted EDM fans will be pleased to know that this is a lot like Shopping Spree, but better. I am so thrilled to own this.


I haven't had a chance to actually use any of these yet, but I will as soon as I'm done plowing through some more baggie samples from other companies. I think I'll really like them.

Disclosure: I paid for the shipping and etsy fees on these. The shadows themselves were pretty much free for review purposes. FCC, you can stop reading now.